The present invention relates to a novel bicycle trailer and hitch apparatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,985 issued May 29, 1990 in the name of Nowlin, a bicycle buggy apparatus is set forth including a conventional bicycle provided with a seat and downwardly extending seat stud received within the framework of the bicycle. A sleeve is pivotally mounted about the seat stud and includes a rearwardly extending connecting shaft removably secured to an "S" shaped coupling shaft secured to a buggy formed with a seat, spaced parallel sides, an underlying floor, and a mount rigidly secured to a forwardmost edge of the floor connected to the aforenoted coupling shaft.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,541 issued Jul. 12, 1988 in the name of Albitre, a lightweight single wheel trailer for towing behind a bicycle is described. The trailer includes an upwardly opening wire mesh-type receptacle mounted forward of the rear wheel of the trailer. The rear end of the trailer Includes opposite side rearwardly projecting arms between whose rear ends the rear wheel of the trailer is journalled and an upright standard is disposed to the rear of the receptacle and Includes opposite side inclined braces extending between the upper end of the standard and the rear ends of the wheel journalling arms. The forward end of the trailer includes an upstanding gooseneck tongue and the receptacle constitutes bracing between the upper end of the standard and at least a midheight portion of the tongue. Further, the forward end of the tongue Includes a hitch assembly for coupling the forward end of the tongue to the upstanding seat supporting shank of an associated bicycle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,835 issued Nov. 8, 1983 in the name of Hazelett, a hitch for one-wheel cycle trailers is described. The hitch, which is to be used in conjunction with a cycle trailer having a frame the front reach of which consists of round tubing or bar, is a universal-joint hitch consisting essentially of two diametrically opposed sector bearings which are constrained to bear upon the aforesaid tubing or bar of the frame from opposite directions by suitable clamping and mounting arrangements which include thrust surfaces integral to the sector bearings.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,117 issued Apr. 26, 1983 in the names of French et al., a connector device for connecting and towing a wheeled cart to and by a bicycle, having an elongated shaft Including an aligned bolt with a head and having a front longitudinally aligned socket is described. A pivot ball is secured to the towing bicycle and is adapted to be removably held In the socket of the device. A slidable sleeve is provided on the shaft over the socket extension of the device for so removably holding the ball in the socket in one slidable position thereof on the shaft. A removable spring sleeve holding clamp on the shaft is also provided. A rotatable slidable collar extends over the shaft extension. A coil extension spring on the bolt portion of the shaft, between the bolt head and said collar, is provided with said slidable rotatable collar being adapted to have the towed cart tongue secured thereto. Said connecting device permits a rotation of either the bolt or said collar of the device, with relation to each other upon bicycle torque pulling of the towed cart, on device connection use.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,649 issued Jun. 23, 1981 in the names of Vanderhorst et al., there is described a quick release trailer and hitch apparatus having a container mounted on a pair of wheels with a pair of pull bars attached for being adjacent to the outer front corner regions of the container. The pull bars are arranged gradually and continuously together with their remote ends attached to a connecting member. The connecting member has a center gripping portion and a rigid attachment portion with an orifice therethrough. A swivel member, permanently coupled on a ball member and freely rotatable thereabout, has a hitch portion with a first passageway for receiving the rigid attachment portion and a second passageway intersecting the first passageway. A spring loaded pin is provided to extend through the second passageway and the orifice in the rigid attachment portion to hold the swivel member and the connecting member immovable relative to each other. The ball member is attached to the bicycle in any appropriate way, such as with a bracket.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,853 issued Dec. 4, 1979 in the name of Brock, there is described a quick disconnect trailer hitch for connecting a trailer vehicle to a tractor vehicle wherein a pair of pivotally connected jaws are slidably mounted in a vertically disposed tube connected to the trailer vehicle draw bar. A spring is mounted in the tube for biasing the outer ends of the jaws outwardly therefrom to an open position, the jaws being slidable inwardly of the tube to a closed position wherein the outer ends of the jaws surround a ball hitching element connected to the tractor vehicle, the spring biased jaws being latched in the closed position.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,749 issued Dec. 20, 1977 in the names of Tracy et al., there is described a trailer hitch designed particularly for converting pleasure type automobiles into towing vehicles and for trailers having a gooseneck forwardly projecting front end. A principal object of the trailer hitch is to minimize fishtailing of the coupled units and to improve handling of the towing vehicle and also to provide a hitch configured for use on different models of cars with minimum difficulty in adaptation, the hitch being largely hidden in the luggage compartment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,321 issued Nov. 23, 1976 in the name of Cote, an attachment for a bicycle serving as a hitch for towing a small trailer or coaster is described. The bicycle hitch can be attached to any standard bicycle without modifying the same and is adjustable to suit bicycles of various wheel diameters. The bicycle hitch includes a curved tubular member subtending substantially a quarter circle, adapted to spacedly surround the top back quarter portion of the rear driving wheel of a bicycle in the plane of said rear wheel and substantially coaxial therewith. This curved member is adjustably attached to the bicycle frame or to the seat support rod at its front end, while its rear end carries a standard ball member for hitching purposes. The curved member is further secured to the rear wheel axle of the bicycle by means of a pair of U-shaped fork members having a series of apertures at the outer ends of their legs to adjustably receive the protruding ends of the bicycle wheel rear axle, while the bight portion of each fork member is provided with a clamping member adjustably securable to the curved member along the length of the latter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,890 issued Nov. 19, 1974 in the name of MacAlpine, there is described a coupling for connecting the drawbar of a tandem trailer to the seat post of a bicycle frame. The coupling comprises a clamp for clamping engagement with the seat post, a link rotatably connected to the clamp for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis of the seat post, a post fixed to the other end of the link on which the loop at the end of the drawbar is adapted to be pivotally mounted, a jaw pivotally mounted on the link adjacent the post having a hook at its end for engagement with the inside of the loop and a hole for engagement with the post, and a latch plate mounted on the jaw for releasably holding the hook engaged with the inner side of the loop and the hole engaged on the post.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,955 issued Jul. 24, 1973 in the name of MacAlpine, a tandem trailer designed to be detachably attached to a bicycle is described. The trailer comprises a frame provided with upper and lower horizontal frame members joined by a vertical frame member such that wheels mounted on the lower frame member support the upper frame member in a substantially horizontal position above the rear wheel of a bicycle so that the bicycle and frame are free to turn relative to each other, the upper frame member having a loop adapted to be placed about the seat ahead of the seat post, a fixed pivot pin mounted on the top bar of the bicycle frame forwardly of the seat post on which the loop is adapted to be pivotally impaled, and spring-biased clips adapted to releasably hold the loop on the pin.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,426 issued Aug. 10, 1971 in the name of Spiese, a hitch particularly adapted to fit a motorcycle or other sport vehicle with rear mounted shock absorbers is disclosed. A U-shaped frame extends forwardly along the sides of the rear wheel and is connected at the lower mount of the shock absorber. Forwardly and upwardly extending braces are connected to the top mounts for the shock absorber, shock loads from the trailer being thereby transmitted to the shock absorber of the vehicle for dissipation. The braces have an obtuse angle at a midpoint to avoid interference with the exterior of the shock absorbers, and adjustment of the frame and the braces at two points allows adaptation to different vehicles.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,468,894 issued May 3, 1949 in the name of W. R. Peek, a bicycle trailer is described comprising a handle, a sleeve adjustably journalled on the seat post of a bicycle, a bar connected at one end to said sleeve, a second named sleeve secured to said bar and having a slotted closed end means carried by the bicycle frame supporting said bar In horizontal position, the outer end of said trailer handle being curved upwardly above the bicycle, a flat vertical coupling pin pivotally connected to the front end of the handle, said coupling having its lower side edges notched for guided pivotal engagement of the side edges of the slot in the second named sleeve.